Value Dispensing Mechanisms

Abstract

A postage meter having a mechanism which is rotatable to print a postage impression of a selected value. A mechanism for setting the postage value is provided, and is assembled with the printing mechanism for rotation therewith. This setting mechanism includes selector wheels which are coaxially rotatable, and setting bars which are longitudinally translatable in response to rotation of the selector wheels. Economic accountability is assured by postage registers having four drivable decimal orders, and input pinions for each such order. The setting mechanism has four adjustable register-driving gear clusters which are normally disengaged from the register pinions, but engage them during printing. Mechanisms are provided for choking the register, and for clamping the choke devices to provide positive register locking when the driving gear clusters are disengaged from the pinions. The setting bars comprise an assembly of individual bar members, pairs of which are connected together for joint translation. The bars are nested in a unique way, and are formed with respective gear tooth racks which adjust the register-driving gear clusters and set the numerical value of the postage printing wheels. Rectification is accomplished by pawls which engage the setting bar racks, and have a mutually interlocking relationship with a shutter disk. This interlock operates either to disable the meter trip mechanism, and thus prevent postage printing operation, when the setting bars are not in rectified position; or to lock the setting bars during a postage printing cycle. A deadlock latch, which acts as an intermediate link between the shutter disk and trip mechanism, also blocks the trip mechanism when the descending postage balance is low, or the register compartment access door is open.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to value dispensing mechanisms generally, and in particular to postage meters.

THE PRIOR ART

Dispensing mechanisms usually include some means for dispensing a tangible article or printing an impression of some value, and a trip mechanism for triggering a cycle of dispensation. In addition, for dispensing mechanisms such as postage meters, which generally operate on a pre-paid rather than a coin-operated basis, there must also be a mechanism of economic accountability, usually a numerical register, to keep a cumulative record of value dispensed over many operating cycles. There must also be some means for selecting the value to be dispensed in each operating cycle, and setting means for guaranteeing that there will be a numerical input which depletes the register by an amount corresponding to the value dispensed.

In such a meter, it is quite a complicated task to design a suitable mechanism which will effect the proper setting of the postage printing wheels and guarantee that a corresponding input will be made to the register. It is also important that the setting mechanism achieve numerical rectification, and that register inputs be prevented except during postage printing operation.

Previous postage meter designs which achieved all these objectives have tended to be complicated and expensive, while those which were simpler and less expensive all had one or more shortcomings. In particular, the "cluster gear" type of meter (described in detail below) is relatively economical; but the only previously known example of this design suffered from a lack of register security, from a low limit on the maximum amount of postage which could be dispensed in a single operating cycle, and from a lack of numerical rectification.

THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a postage meter which adopts the "cluster gear" approach, but carries it out in a more practical manner than in the past. In particular, the present cluster gear meter deals with the problem of postage limitation and the problem of rectification, and it provides an improved design for a setting mechanism as well as a rotating carriage therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a postage meter embodying this invention, with the protective cover broken away for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sub-assembly comprising the postage printing and setting mechanisms of that meter.

FIGS. 3 through 6 respectively are perspective views of the postage setting mechanisms for each of the four driveable numerical orders of the register of that meter.

FIGS. 7 and 8 comprise a series of sequential sectional views illustrating the operating progression of the register driving mechanism of that meter. These sections are both taken along lines 7--7 of FIG. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the sub-assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the same sub-assembly, seen from the plane indicated by lines 10--10 of FIG. 9, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGS. 11A through 11C are vertical sections, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration, showing the trip and lock-out mechanisms of this postage meter in consecutive and/or alternative operating conditions.

FIGS. 11D and 11E are views similar to FIGS. 11A through 11C, but limited to the register lock-out mechanism.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration, of the trip mechanism of FIGS. 11A through 11C.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the register choking, clamping and antireverse mechanism of this postage meter.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the lines 14--14 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the same mechanism as FIG. 13.

FIGS. 15A through 15C are fragmentary top plan views, correlated with FIGS. 11A through 11C respectively, of the meter rectifier mechanism, illustrating its cooperation with the shutter disk.

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the setting mechanism carriage of this meter.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows.

And FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along lines 18--18 of FIG. 16, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The same reference characters refer to the same elements throughout all the views of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In General-FIG. 1 provides an overall view of a postage meter 30 embodying this invention. In general terms, it comprises a housing 31, a rotary postage printing mechanism 32, and a rotating impression roller 34 therebelow which cooperates therewith to imprint postage upon an envelope E or other postage-receiving object. The envelope is inserted into a printing slot 36 defined by the printing mechanism 32 above it and the impression roller 34 below. The motion of the envelope E engages a trip finger 38 which in turn operates a trip mechanism generally designated 40. The function of this trip mechanism is to switch on the power to an electric motor 42 having an output shaft 44 to which is affixed a cooling fan 46. When the power is switched on, the motor and shaft drive reduction gearing 48, an output shaft 50 and a drive gear 52 secured to the output shaft. The gear 52 drivingly engages a gear 54 which is secured to a carriage 144 supporting the postage printing mechanism 32 and a setting mechanism 60. The latter mechanism includes manual postage selection means 58 mounted at the front end of the carriage, and a plurality of register-driving gear clusters 62 mounted on the rear end of the carriage. The carriage 144 is mounted for rotation in response to gear 54 and about an axis 56, by means of a rear shaft 64 journaled upon a rear frame plate 66, and a forward shaft 68 journaled by means of a flanged bushing 69 upon a front frame plate 70. Both frame plates 66 and 70 are upstanding from a meter floor 67.

As is conventional in postage dispensing meters, the register 74 contains a numerical record of the descending postage credit balance, and also the ascending cumulative total of postage dispensed over the entire life of the meter 30. The register comprises several numerical orders, which in the U.S. monetary system represent different decimal places; i.e., the register contains numerical display wheels 76.1 through 76.7 representing, for example, tenths of cents through thousands of dollars respectively. Through conventional Geneva gearing, each of these numerical orders is connected to those above it for decimal carries.

The rotation of carriage 144 about axis 56 drives printing mechanism 32 through its postage printing cycle. Such carriage rotation, which starts from the position of FIG. 7 and proceeds as indicated in FIG. 8 (see arrow 78), also causes the register driving gear clusters 62 to engage register input pinions 72 and thus alter the contents of numerical register 74. For example, a selected one of several gear segments 94 of cluster 62.1 moves into driving engagement with the input pinion 72.1 of the first register order 74.1, as seen in FIG. 8. That pinion 72.1, which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 87, drives another pinion 73.1 which turns on a stub shaft 85 and is integral with a gear 75.1. The latter meshes with a pair of gears 77.1 and 79.1 which are rotatable on shafts 81 and 83 respectively, and which drive the ascending and descending portions of register 74 respectively. The stub shaft 85 is affixed to one of the register frame plates 317 (see FIG. 13). In a similar manner, the other cluster gears 62.2 through 62.4 drive the other driveable register orders 74.2 through 74.4 by means of their respective input pinions 72.2 through 72.4.

The Setting Mechanism-The "cluster gear" type of register driving mechanism, which is simpler and more economical than various other approaches, is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,306,499 of F. J. Rouan. In that design, and in the present one, the postage printing mechanism 32 is operable upon rotation about a horizontal axis; and the setting mechanism 60 is rotatable therewith and includes the cluster gears 62 which engage the register input pinions 72 during that rotation, to accomplish the register input function. It follows that the register driving clusters 62 are engaged with the register pinions 72 only during a portion of the postage dispensing cycle. At all other times the register 74 is disengaged therefrom, and in the prior art Rouan meter this left the register in a floating, insecure condition.

As in the prior art, each cluster 62 of the present meter comprises a plurality of the gear segments 94, each having different numbers of teeth, and the value of the register input is selected, to correspond to the amount of postage dispensed, by rotating these clusters 62 about their respective shafts 96 to present different segments 94 to the register pinions 72. In the cited Rouan patent, however, the setting mechanism responsible for rotating these clusters consisted of a direct gear sector and pinion connecting manual selector levers to the clusters. The geometry of that arrangement was such that only two numerical orders of the register could be set from manual selector members placed in side-by-side relationship. Since it is a highly desirable operator convenience feature to have the selector members for all decimal orders in side-by-side relationship, the prior art mechanism was effectively limited to two settable orders; and, as a result the postage meter could dispense no more than $0.99 per postage impression.

Another problem with the prior art meter just described is that it contained no provision for rectifying the setting mechanism; i.e., setting it precisely at some quantized numerical level corresponding to an allowed amount of postage, and not allowing it to slip into some indeterminate or intermediate position between allowed postage levels.

The present postage meter 30 represents an improvement in several respects over the meter disclosed in the Rouan patent. One such feature of this invention is the use of a translatable bar mechanism 98 for connecting a set of coaxially rotatable postage selectors 80 to rotate the register driving clusters 62, thus selecting the appropriate gear segment 94 to correspond with the amount of postage. Translatable bar connections have been used in postage meters in the past for varying the effective value of a register driving gear, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,350 of F. J. Rouan; but there the bar-responsive register-driving mechanism is much more complicated and expensive than the present cluster gear mechanism. The use of a translatable bar connection to a rotating cluster gear, which is presented here for the first time, is the first approach ever to permit the relatively simple and inexpensive cluster type of register drive gearing to be used with more than two driveable register orders, and is therefore the first to raise the maximum dispensable postage amount of a cluster gear meter above $0.99.

For a full appreciation of this aspect of the invention, the reader's attention is directed first to FIG. 2, which provides a detailed view of the printing and setting mechanisms mounted on the rotatable carriage 144. (The direction of carriage rotation is indicated by arrow 78 in FIG. 2.) To select the desired amount of postage, the setting mechanism 60 comprises selection mechanism 58 which is partially enclosed in a housing 89 and includes notched finger disks 80.1 through 80.4 to which are secured postage read-out number wheels 82.1 through 82.4 respectively. Each finger disk 80 and its associated number wheel 82 are integrally molded of a plastic material, and rotatably mounted upon a horizontal selection mechanism shaft 84 journaled between the two arms of a U-shaped bracket 86 (see also FIG. 9) on the carriage 144. Each finger disk and number wheel assembly 80, 82 has integrally molded therewith a respective one of the selector pinions 90.1 through 90.4, which drive the setting mechanism 60, causing it to perform two related functions. The first of these functions is to set the type wheels 95 of printing mechanism 32 into position to print the selected amount of postage; and the second is to adjust the displacements which the register driving gear clusters 62 impart to their respective register input pinions 72.

Each of these register driving gear clusters 62 comprises a hub 92 on which are formed nine different angularly spaced gear segments 94.1 through 94.9 containing one through nine gear teeth respectively, and corresponding to the numerical values one through nine which the selection mechanism 58 can assign to each of four decimal orders. In addition, there is a space 94.0 between each pair of gear segments 94.1 and 94.9, which corresponds to the assignment of zero value to a particular decimal order.

The hubs 92 are mounted for rotation about vertical shafts 96 in response to the setting mechanism 60. Such rotation determines which of the gear segments 94.1 through 94.9, or the space 94.0, is presented to the associated register input pinion 72. When the space 94.0 is thus selected, there is a zero input to the associated register order; and when one of the segments 94.1 through 94.9 with progressively increasing numbers of gear teeth is selected, the input to the associated register order corresponds to selection of postage levels one through nine respectively.

In contrast to the earlier Rouan cluster gear design, the first four decimal orders 76.1 through 76.4 of register 74 are all driveable by respective gear clusters 62. As a result, the postage level may be manually set in four separate decimal orders, employing the selector members 80.1 through 80.4, and the meter 30 is able to print four decimal orders of postage, for which the printing mechanism 32 comprises four decimal order print wheels 95.1 through 95.4 respectively. Thus, meter 30 is the first cluster gear design which can print amounts of postage up to $9.99 9/10, yet all four of the manual postage selector members 80 are in side-by-side relationship and mounted for coaxial rotation on shaft 84. The remaining register orders 76.5 through 76.7 change only in response to conventional Geneva gearing (not shown) upon receiving decimal carries from lower orders.

The setting mechanism 60 comprises a connecting linkage including four bar assemblies 98.1 through 98.4 which are responsive to the four selector pinions 90.1 through 90.4 respectively. In FIGS. 3 through 6 it is seen that these bar assemblies comprise rather complicated shapes which are simplified for manufacturing purposes by dividing them into respective front and rear bar members 100 and 102, and using respective fastening screws 124 to unite each pair of bars for translation as a unit.

The front bars 100.1 through 100.4 respond to the selector pinions 90 and set the type wheels 95 of postage printing mechanism 32. They are formed with respective tooth racks 104.1 through 104.4 which engage the selector pinions 90.1 through 90.4 respectively. In addition, the front bars are formed with print wheel drive branches 106.1 through 106.4 respectively bent at an angle thereto. Branch 106.4 slants somewhat upwardly from bar 100.4, while the other branches 106.1 through 106.3 extend sidewardly from bars 104.1 through 104.3 respectively at angles of about 90.degree., and have extensions which are slanted slightly upwardly.

The slanted branch 106.4 and each of the slanted extensions of branches 106.1 through 106.3 extend into interleaved relationship (see FIG. 10) with the four decimal order postage printing wheels 95.1 through 95.4, and broaden out to form toothed racks 110.1 through 110.4 respectively. The racks 110 drive pinions 112.1 through 112.4 respectively, each of which is formed integrally with an associated one of the postage printing wheels 95.1 through 95.4 respectively; all the print wheels and their pinions being rotatably mounted upon a common shaft 114 (FIG. 10) which is non-rotatably affixed to a print mechanism housing 116 (see FIG. 1) in a manner which is conventional in the postage meter art. Thus, as the operator of the postage meter manually rotates the disks 80 to select the amount of postage indicated by the numerals on the read-out wheels 82, the selector pinions 90 and selector racks 104 translate the bar members 100 longitudinally, causing the print racks 110 to rotate the print pinions 112 and printing wheels 95 into printing positions which correspond to the postage selected.

The rear bar members 102 each perform three functions: setting the gear clusters 62; rectification of the setting mechanism 60; and slidably mounting the bar assemblies 98 on the carriage 144.

So far as setting the gear clusters 62 is concerned, the bars 102.1 through 102.4 are formed with toothed rack tabs 126.1 through 126.4 respectively bent at right angles thereto, which engage pinions 128.1 through 128.4 respectively, secured to gear cluster hubs 92.1 through 92.4 respectively. When any one of the bar assemblies 98 is longitudinally translated, such motion causes the rack tab 126 thereof to rotate the associated pinion 128 and gear cluster 62 about its shaft 96, thus selecting the angular position of the cluster. This in turn presents a particular gear segment 94 of the cluster to its register input pinion 72, i.e., the segment with the number of register-driving teeth which is appropriate to the particular postage level desired for the particular decimal order.

Rectification-Another respect in which the present invention represents an improvement over the earlier cluster gear patent is that here means are provided for rectifying the setting mechanism. One result is that the print wheels 95 are set precisely in various positions each corresponding to an allowed quantum of postage, and are not allowed to assume intermediate, numerically indeterminate positions. But even more importantly in a cluster gear meter, it is essential to rectify the angular positions of the cluster gears 62; because otherwise it would be possible for two consecutive gear segments 94 of any one cluster 62 to pass on opposite sides of their associated register input pinion 72, without engaging that pinion at all. In that case, there would be no register input, and the scheme of economic accountability would fail.

In this meter, rectification is accomplished by rectifying pawls 136 which are resiliently biased into engagement with position-determining teeth formed on an appropriate member of the setting mechanism 60. These could be, for example, the teeth of pinions 90 or 112 which transmit motion from the selector wheels 80 to print wheels 95. Preferably, however, special toothed rectifying racks are provided on the translatable bar assemblies 98, and the resiliently biased rectifying pawls are arranged to act directly on those bars.

The rear bar members 102.1 through 102.4 are formed with respective right angle dog-leg bends 102a from which are folded respective right angle flanges 130.1 through 130.4. These bar flanges 130 have two functions, one of which is rectification. They are formed with toothed rectifying racks 132.1 through 132.4 respectively, which cooperate with respective rectifying pawls 134.1 through 134.4. One pair of odd-numbered pawls 134.1 and 134.3 are in superposed relationship and are pivotally mounted on the upper surface of the carriage 144 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 16) by a single fastener 136.1, and the other pair of even-numbered pawls 134.2 and 134.4 are similarly superposed and mounted on the lower surface of the carriage by fastener 136.2. Each of these pawls 134 is formed with a tooth 138 which nests between the teeth of the associated rectifying rack 132 when the associated bar assembly 98 is in one of its rectified positions, or rides over those teeth 132, rotating the associated pawl 134 about its fastener 136, when the associated bar assembly is between rectified positions.

The Rotating Carriage and Mechanisms Mounted Thereon-An additional aspect of this invention is the provision of the rotating carriage 144 which contains an elongated cavity within which the register-driving cluster gears 62 are mounted for rotation about their respective shafts 96, and the bar means 98 are mounted for the translating motion which sets the cluster gears 62 and print wheels 95. More specifically, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the rear of the carriage comprises a pair of upper and lower confronting plates 146 and 148 respectively for rotatably mounting the cluster gears and slidably mounting the bar means, and at the front of the carriage is the housing 89 which partially encloses the postage selection mechanism 58. The space between the plates 146 and 148 constitutes a rear cavity 150 within which the bar means 98 are housed, the interior of housing 89 constitutes a front cavity 88 in which the selection mechanism 58 is contained, and the bar means 98 extend longitudinally forward from rear cavity 150 into front cavity 88 to engage the postage selection mechanism 58.

The carriage 144 also comprises a four-pronged forked frame member 152 (FIGS. 1, 15A and 16) at the forward end of the cavity 150, to which the upper and lower plates 146 and 148 are secured by fasteners 330; and a disk 154 (FIGS. 1, 2, 13 and 14) to which these plates are secured at the rear of cavity 150, by means of tabs 156 and fasteners 157. The carriage members 146, 148, 152 and 154 thus form a strong rectangular frame to support the bars 98 and cluster gears 62 within rear cavity 150.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 16, the front wall of the four-pronged member 152 and projects formed with a circular passageway opening 152a surrounded by a hollow cylindrical shaft 68, which is integral with the front wall of member 152 and projects forwardly therefrom. A smaller diameter sleeve 71 is secured to the rear wall 116b of print mechanism housing 116, and projects rearwardly therefrom into the interior of the hollow shaft 68 to mount the housing 116 (and the print mechanism 32 therein) upon the pronged member 152. Two hollow roll pins 65 (cylindrical pins rolled from sheet stock) pass through diametrically opposite radial openings 63 formed in the shaft 68 and sleeve 71, to secure the shaft and sleeve together. These pins are squeezed prior to insertion in the holes 63, and then expand for a friction fit therein. In addition, set screws 61 are threaded into tapped holes 59 which are formed on opposite sides of frame member 152 and sleeve 71 at 90.degree. displacements from holes 63, thus forming a more rigid assembly. The U-shaped bracket 86, which supports the selection mechanism 58, is secured by fasteners 332 to the front wall 116a of housing 116 (FIG. 9), and its two arms project forwardly therefrom. The selector housing 89 is also mounted on the front wall of housing 116. The entire carriage 144 is mounted for rotation about axis 56 by means of the shaft 64, which protrudes rearwardly from disk 154 and is journaled on the rear frame plate 66, and hollow shaft 68 which is journaled within shouldered bushing 69. The bushing in turn is supported upon the front frame plate 70. Opening 152a and the hollow interiors of shaft 68, bushing 69, sleeve 71 and housing 116 define a continuous axial passageway through which the bar assemblies 98 pass from the rear cavity 150 to the front cavity 88.

The second function of the bar flanges 130 is to mount the bar assemblies 98 slidably on the carriage 144. As best seen in FIG. 7, but with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 and 9 also, the underside of carriage plate 146 is formed with a wide, shallow channel 158 which is elongated in the direction parallel to axis 56, and slidably receives an upper pair of odd-numbered bar flanges 130.1 and 130.3 in superposed relationship. These flanges are retained within the channel 158 by means of a rivet 160 which is driven upwardly into the carriage plate 146 through a pair of slots 162.1 and 162.3 formed in both flanges 130.1 and 130.3 respectively. The rivet has an enlarged head overlapping the edges of the slots 162, to prevent vertical escape of the flanges. Similarly, the upper surface of carriage plate 148 is formed with a wide, shallow channel 164 which slidably receives a lower pair of even-numbered bar flanges 130.2 and 130.4 in superposed relationship. These flanges are also retained within the channel 164 by means of another headed rivet 166 which is driven downwardly through respective slots 162.2 and 162.4 thereof into the lower carriage plate 148. The heads of rivets 160 and 166 are not tight against the bar flanges 130, so as to avoid binding their sliding movement; while the width of slots 162 is greater than the outside diameter of the rivet shafts for the same reason. The slots are sufficiently elongated to permit each bar assembly 98.1 through 98.4 to move through a full 10 numerical setting positions in response to the postage selection mechanism 58.

FIG. 7 reveals that the upper and lower carriage plates 146 and 148 are provided with sockets which receive the opposite ends of shafts 96 for rotatably mounting the cluster gears 62 within the cavity 150, so that the selected one of the gear segments or spaces 94.0 through 94.9 can be brought into driving alignment with the associated register input pinion 72. Pinions 128 are provided to rotate each gear cluster 62 in this manner, each pinion being located at one end of its associated shaft 96 and hub 92, adjacent to one of the carriage plates 146 or 148, where it is conveniently engageable by the associated bar rack 126 for rotating the cluster gear in response to translation of the associated bar assembly 98.

As best seen in FIG. 9, odd-numbered alternate cluster gears 62.1 and 62.3 are located on one side of the carriage 144, and drive their respective register input pinions 72.1 and 72.3 during a first half of the carriage rotation (as illustrated for cluster gear 62.1 in FIGS. 7 and 8). Even-numbered alternate cluster gears 62.2 and 62.4, on the other hand, are located on the opposite side of the carriage, and thus drive their respective pinions 72.2 and 72.4 during the second half of such rotation.

The carriage frame member 152 serves many subsidiary functions. In order to keep the rectifying pawls 134 resiliently biased into engagement with their associated rectifier rack teeth 132, a pair of leaf springs 168 (FIGS. 1 and 15) are secured on opposite sides of the frame member 152 by machine screws 170. Each leaf spring is fork-shaped to form pairs of independently flexing tines 172.1, 172.3 (extending upwardly) and 172.2, 172.4 (extending downwardly), which engage respective projections 140.1 through 140.4 of respective rectifying pawls 134.1 through 134.4. Note that the upper and lower surfaces of frame member 152 receive the rectifying pawl fasteners 136.1 and 136.3, respectively; and the side surfaces thereof receive the leaf spring fasteners 170. In addition, the unique upper and lower pronged configuration of member 152 allows the right angle dog-leg bends 102a of bar members 102.1 and 102.3 to reach upwardly through the upper bifurcation thereof, and those of the other two bar members 102.2 and 102.4 to reach downwardly through the lower bifurcation; so that their flanges 130 engage respectively with rectifying pawls 134.1 and 134.3 atop the frame member 152, and 134.2 and 134.4 and below the frame member.

The shape of each bar assembly 98 is complicated by the requirement that it perform five functions simultaneously: driven engagement with one of the selector pinions 90, driving engagement with one of the print wheel pinions 112; rectifying engagement with one of the pawls 134; driving engagement with one of the cluster pinions 128; and slidable mounting of the bar assembly itself upon one of the rear carriage plates 146 or 148. The design is further complicated by the fact that only the selector pinions 90 and cluster pinions 128 are located with the carriage cavities 88 and 150 respectively and are thereof adjacent to the path of translation of the main bar members 100 and 102 respectively; whereas the print wheel pinions 112 are displaced sidewardly therefrom, and the rectifying pawls 134 are located above and below the carriage frame member 152. The problem of print wheel pinion engagement is solved by providing the forward bar members 100 with the sidewardly extending branches 106 which bring the toothed racks 110 into proximity with print wheel pinions 112; while the problem of rectifying pawl engagement is solved by providing the vertically extending right angle dog-leg bends 102a, as previously described. Despite their intricately branched shapes, however, the bar assemblies 98 must be translatable independently of each other, without any interference between the various bends 102a branches 106, in order that the four register orders 74.1 through 74.4 be settable independently. For the same reason, moreover, the flanges 130 and racks 126 must avoid mutual interference while performing their respective functions of slidably mounting the bar assemblies 98 on the carriage plates 146 and 148, and driving the cluster pinions 128. In order to avoid such mutual interference, the various parts of the bar assemblies 98.1 through 98.4 are folded, interleaved and slidably nested with each other in a way which will now be described.

As seen in FIG. 9, the forward bar members 100.1 through 100.4 of each assembly 98 are arranged in parallel, side-by-side (and therefore non-interfering) relationship within the selector cavity 88. The two lower order bars 100.1 and 100.2 are positioned below, and the two higher order bars 100.3 and 100.4 above, the axis of rotation of the shaft 84. Consequently, as seen in FIG. 10, the two lower order selector racks 104.1 and 104.2 engage their respective pinions 90.1 and 90.2 from below, while the two higher order selector racks 104.3 and 104.4 engage their respective selector pinions 90.3 and 90.4 from above. As a result, the bar assemblies 98.1 and 98.2 are driven rearwardly by their respective pinions 90.1 and 90.2, from the forward limiting positions of these bar assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 5 respectively. Similarly, the bar assemblies 98.3 and 98.4 are driven forwardly by their respective pinions 90.3 and 90.4, from the rearward limiting positions of these bar assemblies illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 3 respectively. To accommodate these differing directions of bar assembly motion, slots 162.3 and 162.4 extend rearwardly from their respective rivets 160 and 166, while slots 162.1 and 162.2 extend forwardly therefrom. Note also that the direction of rotation order the respective cluster gears 62 and print wheels 95 depends on the direction of translation of their bar assemblies 98.

The described vertical displacement of bar members 100 from each other permits their respective sidewardly extending, print-wheel-driving branches 106 to overlie one another within the print wheel housing 116, to avoid mutual interference. Thus, as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lowermost of these members is the lowest order branch 106.1; which is bent from the lower and frame of bar 100.1, one of the two lower bars 100 (see also FIG. 6). The next one above is the second of branch 106.2, which achieves a spaced, overlying, non-interfering relationship to branch 106.1 by being bent from the upper edge of the other lower bar 100.2 (see also FIG. 5). The next one above the third order branch 106.3 which achieves a spaced overlying, non-interfering relationship to branch 106.2 by being bent from the lower edge of the bar 100.3 (see also FIG. 4), one of those positioned above bars 100.1 and 100.2. Finally, the fourth order branch 106.4 achieves a spaced, overlying, non-interfering relationship with branch 106.3 by being bent from the top edge of the other upper bar 100.4 (see also FIG. 3).

The rear bars 102.1 through 102.4 are connected to their respective front bars 100.1 through 100.4, extending rearwardly therefrom in relatively closely spaced, parallel, side-by-side (and therefore non-interfering) relationship, as seen in FIG. 9. Close spacing is necessary to permit these bars to pass through the interior openings of print housing 116, sleeve 71, bushing 69, shaft 68 and member 152 (see FIG. 16). Such spacing is and achieved by securing the third and fourth order rear bar members 102.3 and 102.4 directly to their respective front bar members 100.3 and 100.4 (see FIGS. 4 and 3 respectively), so that the third and fourth order bar assemblies 100.3, 102.3 and 100.4, 102.4 are essentially co-linear. The first and second order rear bar members 102.1 and 102.2, in contrast, are laterally offset from their respective front bar members 100.1 and 100.2 (and thus brought into proximity with the third and fourth order bars 102.3 and 102.4) by being secured to their respective front bar branches 106.1 and 106.2 (see FIGS. 6 and 5 respectively), instead of directly to their respective front bar members 100.1 and 100.2.

At the point where the rear bar members 102 are enclosed by the four prongs of frame member 152, they divide into a first group of two bars 102.1 and 102.3 formed with respective upwardly extending dog-leg bends 102a (see FIGS. 6 and 4 respectively), and a second group of two bars 102.2 and 102.4 formed with respective downwardly extending dog-leg bends 102a (see FIGS. 5 and 3 respectively). As previously noted, the upwardly extending dog-legs 102a pass through the upper bifurcation of the four-pronged frame 152, and the downwardly extending ones pass through the lower bifurcation thereof. The respective flanges 130.1, 130.3 and 130.2, 130.4 are formed at the upper and lower extremities of these dog-legs 102a respectively, above and below the frame member 152 respectively, so that their respective rectifying racks 132.1, 132.3 and 132.2, 132.4 are positioned to engage respective rectifying pawls 134.1 and 134.3 mounted on the upper surface of the frame member 152, and 134.2 and 134.4 mounted on the lower surface thereof.

A non-interfering relationship is preserved here by making the dog-leg 102a of bar 102.1 rise somewhat higher than that of its companion bar 102.3 in the upper group, and its flange 130.1 somewhat broader than flange 130.3. Then, as seen in FIG. 4, the angle formed by elements 130.3 and 102 a of bar 102.3 is nested in the interior of the angle formed by elements 130.1 and 102a of bar 102.1; so that the two upwardly reaching dog-legs 102a of these bars are in side-by-side relationship, and flange 130.1 overlies flange 130.3, all in non-interfering relationship. In addition, rectifying pawl 134.1 overlies rectifying pawl 134.3 atop the frame member 152, so that these pawls engage racks 132.1 and 132.3 of flanges 130.1 and 130.3 respectively.

Below the frame member 152 the same approach is employed, by making the downwardly extending dog-leg 102a of bar 102.4 extend somewhat lower than that of its companion bar 102.2 in the lower group, and its flange 130.4 somewhat broader than flange 130.2. Then, as seen in FIG. 3, the angle formed by elements 130.2 and 102a OF bar 102.2 is nested in the interior of the angle formed by elements 130.4 and 102`a of bar 102.4; so that their downwardly reaching dog-legs 102a are in side-by-side relationship, and flange 130.4 underlies flange 130.2, all in non-interfering relationship. In addition, the rectifying pawl 134.4 underlies rectifying pawl 134.2 beneath the frame member 152, so that these pawls engage racks 132.4 and 132.2 of flanges 130.4 and 130.2 respectively.

FIGS. 3 and 4 also reveal that at the very rear, the bars 102 are so proportioned that their cluster gear driving racks 126 are also paired in overlying relationship, with rack 126.1 over rack 126.3 at the top of the carriage 144 (see also FIG. 7), and rack 126.2 over rack 126.4 at the bottom, in non-interfering relationship.

The Register Control Mechanisms-As in the Rouan patent cited above, the register driving gear clusters 62 here are disengaged from the register pinions 72 except during the postage printing cycle. The present meter, however, represents an improvement over the Rouan patent in that it provides means for positively retaining the register 74 in its current numerical condition whenever the clusters 62 are disengaged. One way of accomplishing this within the scope of this invention is to employ special Geneva assemblies which are correlated with the position of the rotating carriage 144 in such fashion that a positive Geneva lock is imposed upon each numerical order of the register at all times, except when the gear clusters 62 are performing their register input function.

A preferred approach, however, which is also within the comtemplation of this invention, is to employ resiliently biased choke pawls which yield when register driving is in progress, and means arranged to clamp the choke pawls positively when register driving is not in progress, so as to provide positive register locking.

The register driving gear clusters 62 are disengaged from their associated register input pinions 72 of register 74 (as seen in FIG. 7) at any time when a cycle of the trip mechanism 40 is not in progress. Any particular gear cluster 62 is also disengaged from its particular register input pinion 72 during the portion of any trip cycle when that pinion has not yet been engaged by, or has already been disengaged from, the selected gear segment 94 of its respective cluster 62; or throughout the entire trip cycle in the event that the toothless region 94.0 of the particular gear cluster 62 is selected, for zero input to the associated register order.

In order to prevent free floating of the register drive train at such times, the pinions 73 of each register order are engaged (see FIG. 13 and 14) by choke pawls 314.1 through 314.4 which are rockably mounted upon respective shafts 316.1 and 316.2, and which nest between the teeth of the pinions 73 of register orders 74.1 through 74.4 respectively. Such engagement is illustrated, for the first order pawl 314.1 and pinion 73.1, in FIGS. 7 and 14. The choke pawls 314.1 through 314.4 are biased into nested engagement by means of respective coiled torsion springs 318.1 through 318.4 which surround the shafts 316. Springs 318 each have one end 318a bearing downwardly upon the associated choke pawl 314, and the opposite end 318b pressing upwardly against a special shelf extension 320b formed on each associated one of four clamping arms 320.1 through 320.4. The shafts 316 are journaled on meter frame plate 66 and register frame plates 317. The clamping arms 320 are all formed with respective hubs 320a; the hubs of arms 320.1 and 320.3 being secured to shaft 316.1, and those of arms 320.2 and 320.4 being secured to shaft 316.2, for rotation therewith. The springs 318 react against the arms 320 to bias the choke pawls 314 into nested engagement with the register pinions 73. When the gear clusters 62 and pinions 72 drive the register gear train, however, the springs 318 and pawls 314 yield resiliently. (Compare the position of pawl 314.1 in FIG. 7 with its position in FIG. 8). This allows the choke pawls 314 to ratchet over the pinions 73 so that register inputs can be accomplished.

During the time that the gear clusters 62 engage the register input pinions 72, a pair of cam followers 322.1 and 322.2, which are secured to respective shafts 316.1 and 316.2 for rotation therewith, ride within dwell recesses 325 and 324 respectively formed on separate cam tracks on the periphery of the disk 154 which comprises the rear element of carriage frame 144. When the cam followers 322 are in the dwell recesses, hubs 322a formed on the cam followers and secured to shafts 316.1 and 316.2 respectively rotate the shaft in the proper directions to lift the clamping arms 320, allowing the choke pawls 314 to yield and ratchet over pinions 73 as described.

At all other times, however, the cam followers 322 ride on the high cam surface 326 of carriage member 154, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 14. As a result, the cam followers 322 rotate their respective shafts 316 in the directions to cause their respective arms 320 to clamp downwardly against their respective choke pawls 314, thus keeping the pawls positively locked against their respective register pinions 73, and preventing any movement whatever of the associated order of register 74. Thus the arms 320 lock the register 74 and positively prevent drift at all times except during the register input portion of the operating cycle.

Springs 318, by reacting against the choke arms 320, serve a dual function: not only do they bias the pawls 314 resiliently into engagement with the pinions 73 as described; but they also act as return springs for the assemblies of the clamping arms 320, shafts 316, and cam followers 322, keeping the latter pressed against the cam surfaces 324, 325 and 326 of disk 154.

It was noted previously that one bank of register driving gear clusters 62.1 and 62.3 on one side of carriage 144 engages the register pinions 72 during a first half of the carriage rotation, and a second bank of gear clusters 62.2 and 62.4 on the other side of the carriage engages the register pinions during a second half of its rotation. With reference to FIGS. in which arrow 78 indicates the direction of carriage rotation, it will be seen that the dwell recess 325 (reaching from ramp 325a to ramp 325b) and dwell recess 324 (ramps 324a to 324b) are so phased that a first one of the cam followers 322.1 engages the dwell recess 325 during the phase of carriage rotation when gear clusters 62.1 and 62.3 are effective, and the second cam follower 322.2 engages the dwell recess 325 during a subsequent phase of the rotation, when the gear clusters 62.2 and 62.4 are effective. Moreover, to prevent overdriving of the register 74, the shut-off ramps 324b and 325b are phased to relock the register the instant the last tooth of the driving segment 94 of the respective gear cluster 62 disengages from its respective register input pinion 72.

In addition to mounting the choke pawls 314, clamping arms 320 and springs 318, shafts 316.1 and 316.2 also mount respective register anti-reverse pawls 328.1 and 328.2 rotatably thereon (see FIGS. 13 and 17), and have respective coil springs 330.1 and 330.2 wrapped around the shafts. One end of each spring engages and reacts against t a nearby frame member 317, and the other end engages and biases its associated pawl 328 into anti-reverse relationship with an associated register pinion 73, as shown for pawl 328.1 and pinion 73.4 in FIG. 17.

The Trip Interlocks-As seen in FIG. 11A, the output spindle 50 and driving gear 52 rotate the carriage 144 by means of the driven gear 54, which surrounds shaft 68 and is secured to the carriage frame 152 by machine screws 153 (see FIG. 16). This occurs when the trip mechanism 40 closes the electrical switch 174 in series with the motor power supply line. The switch has an operating button 176 which is engaged by upward motion (arrows 177, FIG. 12) of a switch actuator level 178. That lever is integral with a cam follower 230 and a stop pawl 220 to form a three-armed crank which is mounted upon a trip mechanism shaft 180 and is rotatable relative thereto. When this three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 is rotated clockwise relative to the shaft (as seen from the viewpoint of FIG. 12), it causes actuator 178 to close switch 174.

Such crank rotation is induced by a trip pawl 196 which is secured to shaft 180 by a tri-lobing and therefore rotates with that shaft in response to motion of the trip finger 38 (arrow 187) when the hooked upper tip 38a thereof is engaged by the envelope E or other postage-receiving object. The trip finger is rockably mounted upon a trip driver 182 by means of a U-shaped supporting bracket 186 which is secured to a shaft 188 journaled upon a hub 182a formed upon the driver 182. A spring 192 is tensed between the trip mechanism shaft 180 and a depending tab 186a of bracket 186 to maintain a driving coupling between the trip finger 38 and the shaft driver 182 under normal operating conditions. As a result, the force exerted on the trip finger 38 by the envelope E normally does not cause the finger 38 and bracket 186 to rotate about shaft 188. Instead, finger 38, bracket 186 and shaft 188 move the driver 182, causing it to rotate shaft 180 in the direction indicated by arrow 181.

As the shaft 180 rotates in that direction, trip pawl 196 rotates therewith and engages a surface 200a formed on a limiting pawl 200. The pawl 200 is rotatably mounted, by means of a hub 200b formed integrally at the lower end thereof, on a stub shaft 210 extending from switch actuator 178. A coiled torsion spring 218 is wrapped around the hub 200b; and one end 218a thereof engages an extension 178a of switch actuator 178, while the other spring end 218b is hooked over the pawl 200 to bias it angularly about shaft 210 until actuator surface 178b is engaged by the undersurface 216a of a stop member 216 formed integrally upon the hub 200b of pawl 200. When the pawl 200 is held in place by spring 218 and the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 rotates in response to pawl 196, the limit of that motion is achieved (as seen in FIG. 11C) when limiting pawl 200 strikes the surface of a dwell recess 202. That recess is part of a cam track 204a formed on a gear 204 secured to the output spindle 50 by means of threaded nuts 206 and washers 208. Thereafter, the trip finger 38 cannot be driven any further by envelope E without tensing spring 192. Consequently, in its displaced position, the curved tip 38a of the trip finger normally serves as a temporary stop element for the envelope E, defining the position thereof at which postage printing begins.

Before a trip cycle begins, stop pawl 220 of the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230, is in position (see FIG. 11A) to engage a stop surface 222 of a cam track 224 formed on the drive gear 52. (In fact, this position of the stop pawl 220 stops the rotation of the gear 52 at the end of the previous trip cycle.) But during a trip cycle, as the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 rotates in response to trip pawl 196, the stop pawl 220 swings clear of stop surface 222 as seen in FIG. 11C, and thus permits rotation of drive gear 52, allowing the cycle to proceed. It is shortly after such pawl release occurs, and just before the envelope E reaches the printing position described above, that the switch actuator 178 strikes button 176 and closes the motor switch 174. The motor then drives gears 52 and 204 in the direction indicated by arrows 201, and the trip cycle proceeds.

Just prior to printing, recess 202 rotates past the limiting pawl 200, after which that pawl is engaged instead by cam track 204a, to kick the pawl 200 angularly in the direction away from shaft 50, and out of its operating position. In order to perform this motion, pawl 200 rotates about shaft 210 against the bias of coil spring 218, and raises the stop member 216 from surface 178b. Once the pawl 200 is thus kicked out of operating position, it is no longer engaged by trip pawl 196. In this way the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 is decoupled from trip pawl 196 and shaft 180, in preparation for the return of the three-armed crank to its initial position later on, when it is time to re-open the motor switch 174.

Such crank release is postponed, however, so long as surface 226 of cam track 224 holds the stop pawl 220 radially outwardly. This retains the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 in the angular position to keep switch actuator 178 raised, and thus the motor switch 174 closed, for one complete rotation of the gears 52 and 204.

Gear 204, it should be noted, is formed with teeth 204b to drive a conventional auxiliary train (not shown) leading to conventional envelope ejector rollers (not shown) and impression roller 34. Gear 52, moreover, is formed with a one-tooth gap 52a to facilitate timing during assembly.

The decoupling of pawls 196 and 200, as described above, serves the additional purpose of permitting further rotation of shaft 180. As postage printing takes place, the envelope E is fed forward by rotation of the print drum 32 (FIG. 1) in cooperation with the impression roller 34. This motion of the envelope causes the trip finger 38 and shaft 180 to rotate further in the direction of arrow 187, beyond the position of FIG. 11C. The trip finger 38 then enters a groove 34a formed in the impression roller 34, releasing the envelope for additional printing advance and subsequent ejection. Thereafter trip finger 38 is held down in the groove 34a, keeping the trip shaft 180 and trip pawl 196 in tripped position, as long as the envelope E continues to pass over the impression roller 34 and the trip finger tip 38a.

When envelope ejection is complete, and the trailing edge of envelope E passes trip finger tip 38a, then the trip finger 38 and trip shaft 180 are released. The trip shaft is then restored to its initial position by a tension spring 240, reacting against a sensing link 234. As the shaft returns, the outer tip of trip pawl 196 strikes, and rides along, a curved surface 200c of limiting pawl 200, rocking the limiting pawl counter-clockwise about shaft 210, against the urging of spring 218, until such displacement of pawl 200 permits pawl 196 to slip under surface 200a, thereby re-engaging pawls 196 and 200 for the next trip actuation. Once pawl 196 slips under surface 200a, spring 218 returns pawl 200 clockwise to its initial position. Only after pawls 196 and 200 have thus been re-engaged can the trip mechanism start a new cycle.

During the trip cycle, the angular displacement of the three-armed crank 178, 220, 230 causes cam follower 230 to be interposed within a dwell recess 228b of another cam track 228 formed on gear 52. But at the end of the trip cycle the dwell recess 228b gives way to camming surface 228a of track 228, striking cam follower 230 and rocking the entire three-armed crank back into its initial position to lower the switch actuator 178 and thereby re-open the motor switch 174, which terminates the trip cycle. After the switch opens, the motor spindle 50 and gear 52 coast until the gear 52 reaches a dead stop when stop pawl 220 re-engages surface 222, as seen in FIG. 11A. A conventional friction clutch (not shown) is included in the drive train to decouple the motor from this abrupt stop.

The sequence of events just described occurs only if there is no reason to prohibit the trip cycle from proceeding. There are, however, various conditions under which a postage meter must not print a postage impression; i.e., when the door to the compartment which houses register 74 is open; when the descending credit balance in the register 78 is less than the maximum amount of postage which can be dispensed in a single trip cycle ($9.99 9/10 in this specific example); and when the setting mechanism 60 is not rectified. Non-rectification has two serious consequences. First, it is possible for the postage printing wheels 95 to be in indeterminate, intermediate printing position; and second, the register driving gear clusters 62 can also be in indeterminate, intermediate positions, so that neither of two adjacent gear segments 94 is properly positioned to engage its associated register input pinion 72, resulting in no input to the register 74. Accordingly, means are provided for locking up the trip mechanism 40 upon the occurrence of any of the described conditions.

The trip mechanism 40 includes sensing link 234 which is pivotally mounted by means of a shaft 236 upon a mounting block 238 which is secured to the trip mechanism shaft 180 by tri-lobing, for rotation therewith. Tension spring 240 is anchored at one end to an opening 242 formed in the mounting block 238, and at the other end is hooked through an opening 244 formed in the sensing link 234. As a result, the sensing link 234 is biased clockwise (as seen in FIGS. 11A and 12) about the shaft 236 by the spring 240. Its motion in that direction is limited, however, because the sensing link extends upwardly through a slot 67a formed in the meter floor 67, and is pulled against one edge of that slot by the spring 240. A pin 246 projects from the upper end of the sensing 234, and the slot 67a is too narrow to permit downward withdrawal of the pin 246. As a result, the sensing link must remain in position to block the slot 67a, preventing the insertion of a tool therethrough for tampering with the meter.

The location of the sensing link mounting shaft 236 is eccentric relative to the trip mechanism shaft 180. Therefore, as the shaft 180 rotates (arrow 181) in response to the envelope E and trip finger 38, the sensing link 234 must rise, as indicated by arrow 235 in FIG. 12. That link, however, is formed with an upwardly facing shoulder 248 which engages a lug 252 bent from a deadlock latch member 254. The deadlock latch 254 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 256 journaled in the upstanding frame plate 70 (FIG. 1); and is biased thereabout in the clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 11) by a tension spring 266, one end of which is anchored by any conventional means (not shown) to the frame plate 70, and the other end of which is hooked into a depending ear 268 of the deadlock latch. As the link 234 is driven upwardly in response to the cycle-starting rotation of the trip mechanism shaft 180, the shoulder 248 pushes upwardly against the lug 252, rotating the deadlock latch 254 counter-clockwise about its shaft 256 (as seen in FIG. 11) and against the urging of spring 266. But the latch 254 can only move from the initial position seen in FIG. 11A to the position seen in FIGS. 11B and 11C, in which the depending ear 268 strikes the meter floor 67, preventing further deadlock latch displacement. This small amount of deadlock latch motion does not permit enough upward motion of the sensing link, and concomitant rotation of shaft 180, to initiate an operating cycle of the trip mechanism 40.

If nothing occurs to release the sensing link 234 from the deadlock latch 254, the pressure of the envelope E against the trip finger 38 is ineffective to initiate a trip cycle, because the trip pawl 196 never rises high enough to engage pawl 200 and move the motor switch actuator 178. If the user nevertheless forces the envelope E against the trip finger 38, the only result will be to stretch the spring 192 and rock the trip finger 38 and its supporting bracket 186 about the shaft 188, without displacing the trip mechanism shaft 180 beyond the point permitted by deadlock latch 254.

The only way in which the sensing link 234 can be disengaged formed the deadlock latch 254 is for it to be cammed in the direction of arrow 255 in FIG. 11C by a lug 258 which is struck at right angles from shutter disk 260. The shutter disk is a substantially circular sheet metal member which is situated in front of, and in confronting relationship to, the driven gear 54, and is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 68. Counter-clockwise rotation of the shutter disk, as seen in FIG. 11C (arrow 261), causes the lug 258 to strike slanted surface 262 of the link 234, thus rotating the link about its shaft 236 against the urging of spring 240, until the link surface 248 is released from the lug 252 of deadlock latch 254. The slot 67a formed in the meter floor 67 is sufficiently elongated to permit such movement of the sensing link.

In order to perform the described sensing link releasing movement, the shutter disk 260 is biased by a torsion spring 270 which is coiled around the shaft 68, and has one end 270a hooked into the interior of one of the roll pins 65 (see FIGS. 11A and 16) and the other end captured within a notch 258a formed in the shutter disk lug 258. Angular motion of the shutter disk 260 in response to the spring 270 is limited by spacers 336 surrounding the machine screws 153 which project through the driven gear 54 and are threaded to the frame member 152 (see FIG. 18). The spacers 336 pass loosely through arcuately elongated slots 276 formed in the shutter disk 260, forming a lost motion coupling between the disk 260 and gear 54. Washers 338 retain the disk 260 on the spacers 336, and also clamp spacers 336 and gear 54 in place upon frame member 152.

There are, however, three conditions, any one of which can prevent the shutter disk 260 from responding to spring 270, and thus rotating to release the sensing link 234 from deadlock latch 254. For one thing, as seen in FIG. 11A, the deadlock latch 254 itself is formed with a shoulder 264 which initially engages the lug 258, to prevent counter-clockwise rotation of the shutter disk 260. The effect of spring 266, moreover, is to urge the deadlock latch into engagement with lug 258. Consequently, the only way that the shutter disk can be released is to rotate the deadlock latch 254 to the limit of its counter-clockwise motion about shaft 256, and against the urging of the spring 266. As seen in FIG. 11C, such motion of the deadlock latch, although insufficient to release the sensing link 234 directly, does cause the shoulder 264 to move out from under the lug 258, until it no longer blocks counter-clockwise rotation of shutter disk 260. The shutter disk then escapes angularly to the position illustrated in FIG. 11C, and in doing so releases the sensing link 234 from deadlock latch 254.

Of the three blocking conditions referred to above, two interfere with shutter disk release by blocking this releasing movement of the deadlock latch, and the third does so by restraining the escape of the shutter disk itself. Specifically the "counter door open" and "low register" conditions are the ones which block the deadlock latch 254, holding it in position to prevent release of the shutter disk 260.

A lockout comb 298 is normally in the position illustrated in FIG. 11A, wherein a lug 300 formed thereon lines up with a slot 302 in an arm 254a of the deadlock latch 254. Such alignment of the lug 300 and slot 302 permits the lug to enter the slot as seen in FIGS. 11B and 11C whenever the sensing link 234 rises and thus rotates the deadlock latch 254 counter-clockwise about its shaft 256.

The register 74 is housed in a compartment provided with an access door 278 (FIG. 11D) mounted on a conventional hinge mechanism (not shown) for opening and closing motion to control access to the register compartment. On the side of the register 74 is mounted a vertically floating door link 284 which is formed with a depending foot 288 and a pair of upstanding tabs 290. A machine screw 282 extends loosely through a vertically elongated slot (not shown) cut through the link 284, and is threaded to a portion 75 of the frame of the register 74. The screw 282, together with a rod 292 which is mounted on the register frame and extends between the tabs 290, serves to mount the link 284 for vertical motion. A tension spring 294, which is anchored at its upper end to the rod 292 and connected at its lower end to a pin 293 on the link 284, biases the link upwardly to the upper limit of its movement, reached when rod 292 engages the crotch between tabs 290. But when the door 278 is closed, a link operator abutment 296 strikes the tabs 290 and drives the link 284 downwardly against the urging of spring 294.

When the register compartment door 278 is open, on the other hand, the abutment 296 no longer clamps down the link 284. Instead, the biasing spring 294 raises that link as indicated by arrow 301, causing a lever 334 to actuate a conventional register locking mechanism (not shown), and also causing the foot 288 to engage a finger 304 formed on the lockout comb 298, and pull upwardly thereon. The lockout comb is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 306 journaled in one of the upstanding register frame plates 317 (FIGS. 1 and 13), prmi comb to rotate clockwise (from the viewpoint of FIG. 11D) in response to the force exerted by the foot 288. Accordingly, when the register compartment door 278 is open, the lug 300 of lockout comb 298 lines up, as illustrated in FIG. 11D, with a surface of deadlock latch arm 254a above the slot 302. Consequently lug 300 interferes with arm 254a, preventing the counter-clockwise rotation of deadlock latch 254 which is required to release the shutter disk 260. This constitutes the interlock which senses an open condition of the register compartment door 278.

Register sensing fingers 308 are formed at the upper end of the lockout comb 298, and normally ride on the circular outer surface of the wheels of register 74, as seen in FIG. 11A. When the register 74 is in a low credit balance condition, however, these fingers drop into a series of slots 310 formed in the register wheels, as seen in FIG. 11E. This permits the lockout comb 298 to rotate counter-clockwise about its shaft 306, under the influence of a tension spring 311, one end of which is anchored in a conventional manner to one of the upstanding register frame plates 317 and the other end of which is hooked into a lug 312 formed on the lockout comb 298. As a result, the lug 300 is now aligned with a surface of arm 254a below the slot 302, as seen in FIG. 11E. Thus the low credit balance condition of register 74 also blocks the arm 254a, again preventing the counter-clockwise rotation of deadlock latch 254 which is required for trip release.

To recapitulate briefly, the lockout comb 298 is biased by tension spring 311 toward a first extreme position (seen in FIG. 11E), in which the sensing fingers 308 fall into slots 310 upon the occurrence of a low credit balance condition in the register 74. When there is an adequate credit balance in the register, however, the fingers 308 ride on the external surface of the wheels of register 74, thus maintaining the comb 298 in an intermediate position (FIG. 11A) and tensing the spring 311. If the register compartment door 278 is open, the link 284 and foot 288 rotate the comb 298 to the opposite extreme (seen in FIG. 11D), producing further elongation of the spring 311. Either extreme position of the lockout comb 298 will block movement of the deadlock latch 254 and prevent escape of the shutter disk 260, thus precluding operation of the trip mechanism 40. Only the middle position of the lockout comb 298 (seen in FIG. 11A) will line up lug 300 with slot 302, permitting the rotation of deadlock latch 254 (seen in FIG. 11B) which is necessary to release shutter disk 260 (as seen in FIG. 11C). Then the shutter disk can escape to disengage the sensing link 234 from the deadlock latch lug 252, and permit operation of the trip mechanism 40.

As seen in FIG. 15A, which is correlated in time with FIG. 11A, the tabs 142 of all four rectifier pawls 134.1 through 134.4 project forwardly through respective windows 54a and 54b formed in the driven gear 54. The tabs 142 of the upper pawls 134.1 and 134.3 protrude through window 54a and those of the lower pawls 134.2 and 134.4 through window 54b. Similar windows 260a and 260b respectively aligned therewith are formed in the shutter disk 260. When the pawls 134 have their respective rectifier teeth 138 in nested engagement with their respective setting bar racks 132, as seen in FIGS. 15A and 15C, the 142 thereof do not extend into the shutter disk the tabs 260a and 260b. This permits the angular movement of the shutter disk 260, relative to the driven gear 54 (see FIG. 15C), required for the shutter disk to escape and disengage the sensing link 234 from the deadlock latch 254. But when any one or more of the four rectifier pawls 134 is rotated about its fastener 136 (as seen in FIG. 15B) by a non-nested relationship between its rectifying tooth 138 and the associated bar rectification rack 132, indicating an unrectified condition of the associated setting bar assembly 98, then the blocking tab 142 thereof extends forwardly into the associated shutter disk window 260a or 260b, and prevents the escaping movement of shutter disk 260. The result is seen in FIG. 11B, which is correlated in time with FIG. 15B; even though the rise of the sensing link 234 has removed the deadlock latch 254 and its shoulder 264 from blocking engagement with the shutter disk tab 258, the disk is unable to escape in the counter-clockwise direction due to the engagement of one or more tabs 142 with an edge of one of the shutter disk windows 260a or 260b. It is only when the pawl teeth 138 of all the pawls 134 are in nested engagement with their associated rectifying teeth 132, and all the locking tabs 142 are therefore retracted from the shutter disk windows 260a and 260b, that the shutter disk 260 can escape as seen in FIGS. 11C and 15C.

The amplitude of escaping motion permitted the shutter disk 260 by screws 153, spacers 336 and the arcuately elongated slots 276 is sufficient to move windows 260a and 260b angularly out of alignment with all four rectifying pawl tabs 142. Once that happens, the rectifying pawls 134 can no longer rotate out of nested engagement with the rack teeth 132, because instead of the windows 260a and 260b, the body of the shutter disk 260 is then interposed in front of the tabs 142 as illustrated in FIGS. 11C and 15C. Thus there is a mutually blocking relationship between the rectifier pawls 134 and the shutter disk 260. Not only do the rectifier pawls 134 block escape of the shutter disk when the setting mechanism 60 is not rectified; but the disk also blocks movement of the rectifier pawls out of nested engagement with the rack teeth 132 once the disk has escaped to trigger a trip cycle, and so long as the rectifier pawls 134 are thus locked with their teeth 138 in nested engagement with racks 132, it is impossible to move the setting bars 98. The setting mechanism 60 is therefore ineffective to change the print wheel and gear cluster setting during a trip cycle.

In order to retain the shutter disk 260 in this pawl-blocking position relative to driven gear 54 during a trip cycle, the disk is formed with gear teeth 260c around part of the periphery thereof which mesh with driving gear 52, and a toothless gap 260d occupies the remaining portion of the periphery. Before the escape of the shutter disk 260 (see FIG. 11A), the most closely approaching teeth of driving gear 52 are stored in the shutter disk gap 260d, and thus do not engage teeth 260c thereof. This permits the disk to perform its angular escape (arrow 261, FIG. 11C) free of interference from gear 52. But the escaping motion of disk 260 then causes the first tooth 260c thereof to slip past a notch 52b (see FIG. 12) on one tooth of gear 52, to establish a one-tooth mesh therebetween. Then, when the motor turns on and the driving gear 52 rotates, the direction of its rotation (see arrow 201) is such as to mesh successively more teeth until full engagement is achieved. Such engagement is then sustained until near the end of the trip cycle. Consequently driven gear 54 and shutter disk 260 both mesh with, and are driven by, the driving gear 52 during rotation of the carriage 144, with the result that disk 260 is angularly fixed in relation to gear 54 during that time. Thus the disk cannot change its position to free the rectifier pawls 134 and the setting mechanism 60.

After the postage dispensing operation has been concluded, however, the expulsion of the envelope E by the ejection rollers frees trip finger 38, allowing trip shaft 180 to rotate back to its initial position, lowering sensing link 234, and allowing spring 266 to restore deadlock latch 254. Consequently, as driven gear 54 and shutter disk 260 conclude one full rotation together, and the teeth of drive gear 52 then disengage from the gear teeth 260c of the shutter disk by re-entering the toothless gap 260d, the deadlock latch 254 is again in blocking position, and the shutter disk tab 258 rotates into re-engagement therewith, causing the shutter disk 260 to be displaced angularly relative to the driven gear 54 and thus re-cocking the spring 270 and re-latching the shutter disk for the next trip release.

Conclusion-It will now be appreciated that the postage meter of this invention manages to adapt the highly desirable rotating gear cluster type of adjustable register driving mechanism for use with a register having four drivable orders, so that the meter can dispense postage up to $9.99 9/10; and that the setting mechanism for these gear clusters is rectified and employs a unique assembly of setting bars which are translatable within a cavity in the interior of a rotating carriage. In addition, the problem of register insecurity, during times when the gear clusters are not engaged therewith, is overcome by positive register locking.

Since the foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative, the scope of protection of the invention has been more broadly stated in the following claims; and these should be liberally interpreted so as to obtain the benefit of all equivalents to which the invention is fairly entitled.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a numerical value dispensing device of the type having a numerical register including driven means rotatable to change the numerical content of said register, an assembly rotatable about a first axis, said rotatable assembly including means operable in response to such rotation to dispense a selected numerical value and means for setting the numerical value to be dispensed, said setting means including means for selecting the numerical value to be set and variable input driving means operable upon said rotation about said first axis to rotate said driven means to change the numerical content of said register by the amount of the numerical value set; the improvement wherein said setting means comprises:

bar means extending substantially parallel to said first axis;

means mounting said bar means for translation substantially parallel to said first axis;

first means connecting said bar means for translation in response to said selecting means;

and second means connected to said register driving means to alter the operative condition of the latter thereof in response to said bar translation.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said bar means comprises first and second toothed rack means, said first connecting means comprises first pinion means rotatable in response to said selecting means and engaging said first rack means to translate said bar means, and said second connecting means comprises second pinion means engaging said second rack means and responsive to said bar translation to vary the operative condition of said register driving means.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein: said register has at least three numerical orders; said selecting means comprises a like number of selectors and means mounting said selectors for coaxial rotation; said first pinion means comprises a like number of first pinions each rotatable in response to a respective one of said selectors; said bar means comprises a like number of bar mechanisms each having first and second rack means, said first rack means engaging respective first pinions; said second rack means being displaced from each other in a direction substantially parallel to said first axis; said register driving means comprises a like number of mechanisms to drive respective orders of said register, said register order driving mechanisms being displaced from each other in a direction substantially parallel to said first axis; and said second pinion means comprises a like number of second pinions arranged to drive respective register order driving mechanisms, and each engaging a respective one of said second rack means; whereby at least three register orders may all be driven under the control of said coaxial selectors.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said register driving means rotates about a second axis to vary said register input; said setting means comprises a carriage extending substantially parallel to said first axis, said carriage defines a cavity embracing said register driving means, and having means thereon mounting said register driving means for rotation about said second axis; and said bar means extends through said cavity and engages said register driving means for rotation thereof about said second axis in response to said bar translation.

5. In a numerical value dispensing device of the type having a numerical register including driven means rotatable to change the numerical content of said register, an assembly rotatable about a first axis, said rotatable assembly including means operable in response to such rotation to dispense a selected numerical value and means for setting the numerical value to be dispensed, said setting means including means for selecting said numerical value, variable input driving means operable upon said rotation of said setting means about said first axis to rotate said driven means to change the numerical content of said register by the amount of said numerical value, and means responsive to the operation of said selecting means to change the value of said register driving means input; the improvement comprising:

means for detenting said input changing means whereby to rectify said input at least at one quantized level.

6. In a value dispensing device of the type having: an assembly rotatable about a first axis, said rotatable assembly including value dispensing means operable upon rotation about said first axis; a numerical value register comprising driven gear means for altering the numerical content thereof; said rotatable assembly also including driving gear means operable in response to said rotation about said first axis to engage and drive said driven gear means for altering the content of said register, said driving gear means having alternatively operable register driving gear segments circularly spaced about at least one second axis, said segments having different numbers of teeth, said driving gear means being rotatable about said second axis to present different segments having different numbers of teeth to engage said driven gear means whereby to vary the input to said register, all of said segments being normally out of engagement with said driven gear means, said segments being engaged with said driven gear means only when said value dispensing means performs said operating rotation; the improvement comprising:

means to prevent alteration of the numerical contents of said register when said driving gear means is disengaged from said driven gear means.